Back to School for Bull Redfish on the Move

When late summer comes around, hordes of reds provide incredible inshore action.

August 24, 2024 By Frank Sargeant

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If you’re a veteran angler convinced he’s enjoyed every major thrill the sport has to offer, I will question that assertion unless you’ve experienced the “red wave.” That’s when hundreds and sometimes thousands of jumbo, sexually mature redfish (aka bull reds) congregate to spawn during late summer and early fall and turn an acre or more of water a reddish-orange.

I last enjoyed one of these bonanzas near Egmont Key, at the mouth of Florida’s Tampa Bay, where Capt. Scott Moore and a few buddies found a mass of bulls on the white-sand shoal just off the main 90-foot-deep channel. The giant wad covered an area broader than a football field, and every fish was a 15-pounder or better. Getting bit was just a matter of dropping a bait, be it live or artificial, into the water over the boiling fish. As soon as we closed the bails of our spinning reels, we were hooked up.

As drags screamed, lines crossed and our crew leapfrogged about the boat to prevent fatal tangles, total mayhem ensued. The scene and the catching were incredible and went on until a couple of bull sharks showed up to spoil the fun.

double redfish — Multiple hookups are common when fishing bull red schools, as competition for forage is fierce and the fish feed aggressively. (Photo by Alex Suescun)

SCHOOL ASSEMBLY

Spawning season runs from late August through October for reds in the Gulf Coast and the Carolinas, and lasts until November or early December in Georgia and northeast Florida. The juveniles remain in the bays during that period while the adults, at least 3 or 4 years old and 26 inches or longer, bunch up and either head offshore in the Gulf of Mexico or into deep inlets along the Atlantic Coast to release and fertilize their eggs.

Despite their focus on reproduction, those schooling fish will feed—heavily at times—and provide anglers with the kind of non-stop action and excitement otherwise hard to encounter inshore. The difficult part is finding the schools. Once you do, however, it’s game on.

From North Carolina to Florida’s Sebastian Inlet on the Atlantic Coast, and roughly from Charlotte Harbor, on the opposite side of the Sunshine State, all the way to Texas, bull redfish schools tend to stage around the mouths of large bays and coastal rivers, as well as in deep ship channels, passes and inlets where water flows out to sea.

THE CURRICULUM

Many schools spend prolonged periods in water 5 to 10 feet deep, where they may hang near the bottom at times, making it hard for anglers to pinpoint their whereabouts with the naked eye. Birds sometimes betray their location as gulls and pelicans often circle or float around above the fish, waiting for them to drive baitfish to the surface. Cruising along the beaches and outer-bay shorelines while keeping an eye on your fish finder can also put you on the bulls. This strategy pays off in much deeper ship channels, inlets and passes, too.

Groups of 10 to 30 fish sometimes peel off from the big schools and prowl the nearest grass flats. Although they create a V-shaped wake as they search for forage, it’s a good idea to make a few casts around any dark blob you come across, as that’s what they look like when just sitting on the bottom. What appears to be a patch of grass occasionally turns out to be a pod of 8- to 30-pound redfish.

Just about any lure will catch schooling bulls, but it’s best to choose single-hook designs so it’s easier to release the fish unharmed and let them spawn. While artificials will fool plenty of the jumbo reds, natural baits will turn most opportunities into hookups. Live menhaden, finger mullet and large threadfin herring and scaled sardines are all prime options. Large pinfish and grunts also work, as do extra-large shrimp. And when a school is hanging out in deep water, bottom-fishing with half a blue crab can prove quite productive.

In shallow water, live baitfish can be free-lined with a 5/0 to 8/0 circle hook (depending on bait size) inserted either behind the dorsal or through the lips. In deeper areas, try fishing baits with a slip-sinker (Carolina) rig with 18 inches of 60-pound fluorocarbon leader and an egg sinker heavy enough to get the bait to the bottom.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

To promote the proliferation of redfish, it’s best to stick to catch-and-release when targeting the bulls. That also means using tackle that will allow you to enjoy the battles but won’t require lengthy struggles sure to exhaust fish to the extreme. Leave the ultra-light stuff at home. Instead, opt for beefier outfits with 4000- to 6000-size spinning reels or 600- to 700-class baitcasters. Load up with 30- to 50-pound braid with a 3- to 4-foot trace of 40- to 50-pound fluoro leader.

For lures, best bets include 1/2- to 1- ounce jig heads with an extra-strong 4/0 or 5/0 hook dressed with a 5- to 6-inch soft plastic (preferably a paddle tail) and weighted swimbaits of similar size and weight. White, chartreuse and baitfish color schemes are effective choices, though darker shades like black or purple seem to get more bites some days.

Before release, hold every fish in the water, allowing it to take in much-needed oxygen and recover a bit from the lactic acid buildup in its tired muscles. If it appears somewhat lethargic or unresponsive, rock the fish gently back and forth—making sure water passes through its gills—until you feel it regain its balance and struggle gently against your grip.

When releasing bull reds, it’s wise to remain vigilant of sharks and bottle-nosed dolphins, which sometimes track the schools in hopes of a chance at a big meal. If you get on a school and a couple of fish you release instantly get chomped, it’s best to pick up and find another bunch rather than sacrifice multiple spawners.

Map of redfish hotspots — Top spots in the South to catch schooling redfish in later summer.

BULL RED HOT SPOTS

While there are numerous proven spots to intercept schooling bull reds, here are a few good starting points.

North Carolina: Ocracoke Inlet and the beaches on either side often teem with jumbo reds in the fall. The 94-pound, 2-ounce all-tackle record came from these waters, and catching 50-pounders is quite possible. The island town of Ocracoke, accessible only by ferry, makes this a great destination beyond the excellent fishing.

South Carolina: The Palmetto State has also produced some monster reds; the current state record weighed 75 pounds. The mouth of Winyah Bay and Cape San Roman are among the best areas to try your luck. You’ll find guides, marinas and motels in Georgetown.

Georgia: The mouth of the St. Mary’s River separating Georgia and Florida is often boiling with hefty reds, especially when mullet or menhaden are in close around Fort Clinch and the jetty. Fish out of quaint, historic Fernandina Beach. The state record, caught from off an artificial reef in 1986, weighed nearly 48 pounds.

Florida: Schools of big reds gather at the end of the Crystal River Nuclear Plant Channel each fall. Find them by trolling with large diving plugs or heavy jigs with swimming tails. On the Atlantic side, the ship channel near the Mayport Naval Station hosts schools starting in August. Conventional, medium-heavy jigging gear is ideal here. The Sunshine State record is 52 pounds, 3 ounces.

Alabama: ’Bama’s state record is 45 pounds, 9 ounces, and you can’t go wrong fishing Dixey Bar at the mouth of Mobile Bay. Loads of 20- to 30-pound bulls swarm here, not only in the fall but throughout much of the year, and they usually hit just about anything that lands in front of them. Guides and accommodations are available on nearby Dauphin Island.

Louisiana: Southwest Pass Jetty often holds hundreds of giant redfish around its lengthy structure at the mouth of the Mississippi. Weighted cut mullet or large shrimp is all it takes. When the bait hits bottom, you’re usually hooked up. Legendary Venice Marina is the jumping off spot. The record in Cajun waters is 61 pounds even.

Texas: The Lone Star State’s record is just short of 60 pounds, and the Port O’Connor Jetty and the Matagorda Ship Channel are the places to go for big reds. There are several lodges that cater to anglers, including the Port O’Connor Premiere Lodge.